How to Fail Your Business: A Step-by-Step Guide to Losing Everything
Ahmad El-Saeed
Chief Marketing Officer and Consultant | Technical Project Manager @Brightery
You’ve dreamed of success, but let’s be honest—most businesses don’t make it. In fact, if you want to crash and burn faster than a budget airline, just follow these guaranteed-to-fail steps. If you see yourself in any of these, fix them NOW, or watch your business sink like a stone.
Step 1: Ignore Your Customers
Why waste time understanding what your customers want? Just assume you know better. Skip the market research, ignore feedback, and focus on what YOU think is great. After all, customers will magically show up, right? Wrong.
?? Fix It: Talk to your audience. Obsess over their needs, wants, and problems. If you’re not solving a real problem, you’re already failing.
Step 2: Be Just Like Everyone Else
Want to blend into the background? Copy your competitors. Offer the same thing at the same price in the same way. Who needs originality when you can be forgettable?
?? Fix It: Find your unique angle. Be bold. Stand out. Brands that challenge the status quo get noticed—and paid.
Step 3: Ignore Marketing (Or Do It Terribly)
Think “build it and they will come” is a real strategy? Think again. Without marketing, nobody knows you exist. Even worse? Running bad marketing that screams “Buy from us!” without building trust first.
?? Fix It: Get your SEO, content, and ads dialed in. Use smart strategies that attract, engage, and convert—not just push sales.
Step 4: Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow
Want to burn through cash? Hire too fast, rent a fancy office, and invest in every shiny new tool. Before you know it, you’re drowning in expenses with no revenue to match.
?? Fix It: Focus on lean growth. Invest in what actually drives revenue, and cut the fluff.
Step 5: Refuse to Adapt
The market changes. Algorithms shift. Customer behavior evolves. But don’t worry—if you ignore trends and resist change, failure will find you in no time.
?? Fix It: Stay ahead of the curve. Learn, pivot, and evolve before your competitors do.
Final Thought: Success is a Choice
If you want to fail your business, just keep making these mistakes. But if you’re serious about winning, fix them—fast. The market doesn’t wait for slow learners.
?? Your move. Will you fail or adapt?